The present invention relates to a swash plate type compressor and more particularly to a swash plate type compressor in which gas to be compressed and lubricating oil used are prevented from mixing with each other during the compressing operation in order that no oil is mixed into the compressed gas.
A swash plate type compressor, i.e. a compressor provided with a swash plate in the form of an inclined circular plate mounted to a drive shaft, has hitherto been widely used for e.g. small type refrigerator compressors, and the like but it has always had such a construction that lubricating oil used for decreasing friction and wear of the relatively reciprocating parts of the compressor is allowed to be easily mixed into the gas during its compressing process in the compressor. That is, in the conventional swash plate type compressor construction the compartment in which the swash plate rotates always containes lubricating oil in it to supply the oil to the relative sliding parts of the compressor and this compartment is directly connected to cylinders in which compression of the gas takes place by respective pistons mounted in them to be reciprocated under the action of the swash plate.
Accordingly it has been hitherto recognized to be inevitable in the conventional swash plate type compressor that the compressed gas is accompanied by the lubricating oil while it is subjected to compression in the cylinders. However, it will be apparent that such a compressed gas contaminated with lubricating oil is not appropriate for most applications, e.g. refrigeration.